Jajpur: As the Assembly’s monsoon session is starting June 25, the public here is eager to know whether issues like the distress sale of paddy and the recycling of rice in Jajpur will be raised by legislators this time.
MLA Taraprasad Bahinipati and MLA Bhupinder Singh have readied their questions on paddy procurement and rice recycling.
Earlier, legislators had not asked questions regarding the quantity of paddy procured and the rice to be supplied by millers and whether action was taken against the defaulting millers or not.
There were rumours that during elections the millers had helped politicians, and this is the reason why the leaders were protecting the millers by not asking questions.
Reports said in the 2018-19 paddy procurement season, 26,295.564 tonnes of rice will have to be delivered by 12 millers in Jajpur amid allegations of rampant rice recycling.
Eastern Foods Pvt Ltd (Rangidaspur) has not delivered 4916.505 tonnes of rice to the Civil Supplies Department. Similarly, 2791.327 tonnes of rice is pending with Sahantuuka Foods (Barchana), 7193.229 tonnes with Krupalu Rice Mills (Patharpada), 3075.966 tonnes of rice with Mahabali Modern Rice Mills and 6489.837 tonnes with Ashirbad Rice Mills (Panikoili).
There are suspicions that these millers are waiting to buy the rice being supplied for MDM, BPL and Antyodaya schemes from racketeers who get it diverted.
Racketeers grab the rice supplied under these programmes and sell them in the black market. Some millers buy it and deliver it to the government without milling paddy.
The Civil Supplies Corporation has been insisting on checking the stock position of millers. But this is not being done.
The district has five godowns with adequate space for stocking rice, but it is surprising why the 12 millers have not delivered their rice. It has become a cause of concern for the civil supplies department.
The district civil supplies officer had provided details of paddy procurement at various mandis (procurement centres).
By June 15, the government had purchased 11,45,778 quintals of paddy from the district’s farmers. Fifteen cooperative societies were told to procure rabi paddy.
Now the question is why the legislators did not want to know which millers have defaulted, and why the civil supplies department has not taken action against them.
District civil supplies officer Surendra Kumar Hota has denied irregularities in paddy procurement. He said action will be taken against defaulting millers.
PNN